The Big Basement Reveal

Okay.

I know it really isn't that exciting, and honestly, I think you can tell a much bigger difference in person.

But, I don't hate going downstairs like I used to....so there.

To recap, the basement used to have dirty, stinky, smelly beige carpet.  It was pretty bad when we moved in, but I felt bad that the owners had to come down in their price after the appraisal, so we didn't ask for carpet or a carpet allowance.

It was pretty bad when we moved in and my little darlings made it really bad.    Lots of contraband food and drinks were spilled and left to die a horrible death on that carpet.  You see, because mom hated going down there....mom didn't really inspect a lot.  So, they could tell me that it didn't look that bad down there and I believed them.  Foolish, foolish mom.

The basement had sort of an old urine smell.  Not completely sure if that is from the previous owners dogs.....or....my children.  I hope it was the dogs....but I can't honestly say!

It was dark down there.  One side of the basement has no windows and it had one light/fan fixture in the middle of the room with only one working light bulb socket....oh and my kids managed to break the fan so that doesn't work either.

It was just bad....plain bad.  Looked bad.  Smelled bad.  Made me feel bad.

Here are some before shots.

After we got rid of some carpet...and a bit of Rainman's bachelor couch.

The other end of the room....that is Rainman's bachelor T.V. facing the wall back there.  It died about a year ago....and there it has sat waiting for us to get rid of it.  The glass is to the wall because I know my children.

A closer shot of the bachelor couch.   My kid's didn't just destroy this puppy without permission.....well, some of it was done with permission.   I wanted to keep some of the stuffing for craft projects, so, being the coolest mom in the world, I told them to have at it and get me some stuffing!  They obviously had a great time.

Okay....so, I think you get a bit of an idea what it looked like down there when the children were pretty much given free reign. 

It obviously wasn't pretty.

So, we pulled up all the carpeting and I painted the whole thing....we got a few new IKEA desks....rearranged what we had....took a trip to the dump and....here we are today!

Three of our work stations and our reading library.

This is my curriculum shelf.  I have a shelf for math, for science, for history/geography, language arts, religion/theology/apologetics, foreign language, SAT prep....you get the idea....but it is all together in one place....I cannot tell you how happy that makes me.  Since it is all here, I can't forget about what I have, so I am using more of my stuff! 

Here is the whole overview of the school side of the basement.  D-man's work area is the closest on the left side.  S-girl's desk is in the middle of the curriculum shelf (another IKEA purchase from a few years ago).

This is my reference library!  I know....I am a nerd....but it makes me happy.

Here is the other thing that makes me happy.  There was a little closet under the steps and we have stored all of Rainman's VCR movies that he can't bear to get rid of in here.  But, also all my pencils; pens; glue; tape; pencil sharpeners; colored pencils, etc.  Again, all together in one place!

This is the other side of the basement...next to the school room.  We have games and puzzles in the two tall cabinet thingies.  Obviously a T.V.  And the latest addition is one of our twin beds from upstairs that wasn't getting used (remember we have bed hoppers).  And, of course, a big heap of toys in the corner.  We need to do another purge...but I am too exhausted right now!

I kept the floors just plain concrete.  I had wanted to paint them ....but money ran out....so it is fine for now.

We had a great friend who put in some new recessed lighting for us.  I bought them for really cheap at  Habitat for Humanity Restore.  I didn't even have to pay him with money....I just made him some Polish food!  The lighting difference is huge.  It used to be kind of dark, dingy and scary....now it is light and bright......

.....and, apparently good for naps!